Collapsible container



Dec. 24, 1963 1. 1 Ko'rowlcK' COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. l2, 1960 /NVE/VTORI ./sEp/f L. Korea/MK ATTORNEY Dec. 24, 1963 J. L. KoTowlcK coLLAPsIBLE CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filednec. 12, 1960 ATTORNE)l United States Patent i 3,lll5,29l CLLAllELE CNTAINER Joseph Lawrence Kotowiclr, 562i) Ross St., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Filed Dec. l2, i960, Ser. No. 75,333 2 Claims. (Cl. 22S- 41) The invention relates to a reusable, one piece rectangular container, preassembled by the manufacturer, which may be fully collapsed to flat form ttor storage and shipment to the point of use, and readily restored to open, rectangular form for loading with merchandise.

The container meets a need of department stores and supermarket chains tor carrying xgroceries and other merchandise from the cashier check-out stations to the eustomers car in the adjacent parking lot or garage, where the merchandise is unloaded, placed in the custo-mers car, .the container collapsed, returned to the supermarket department for reuse in the same capacity. lt is also useful for other similar purposes where an economical, collapsible carrying tray or lopen top box suitable for repeated use is needed.

More particularly, the invention comprises a rectangular one piece container ot suitable material, preferably paperboard, scored to dene opposed side and end walls with integr-al bottom closure sections arranged 1n extended side by side relation. The end Walls are vertically scored at their mid-width and these scores continued as double lscores through the midwidth of the end wall bottom closure sections .to permit collapsing the end walls and their closure sections `outwardly into at form when the blank has been assembled. The side wall bottom closure sections are yscored to denne counterpart major trapezoidal inner portions and an outer minor mrapezoidal portion of the closure or one side wall and a rectangular outer ysection of the other side wall closure, all as described in detail hereinafter. A glue or sti-tch ilapi may be attached to the tree side edge of a container wall and to the remote free side edge of -a bottom closure section.

The blank is assembled by loldlng all of toe closure sections upwardly 180 to a ace to tace relation with the container walls. The said minor trapezoidal portion is folded downwardly in ilat relation over the major trapezoidal portion to which it is attached. Glue is applied to the exposed faces cl the glue ilaps and t-o the exposed face of said downwardly folded minor trapezoidsl portion.

The outer pon-tion or" the extended blank is next told-ed about the vertical score bisecting the end walls and the end wall closure sections into latwise relation over the intermediate portion thereof. The wall glue iiap will extend over and become secured to the opposite tree wall margin, the closure glue flap is under and secured to the opposite free wall margin, the closure glue liap is under and secured to the opposite free closure ilap margin and the said minor trapezoid Iportion will be secured to the said major tropez-oid portion, which is integral with the other side wall, completing the assembly of the container by the manu-facturer in collapsed form.

The collapsed structure may be readily erected into rectangular form for use, by separating the side walls and concurrently urging the counterpart sections of the bisected end walls inwardly until the sections of each Wall are in a common plane at right angles to the side walls.

As this operation proceeds, the collapsed major trapezoid portions and remaining portions of the side wall closure sections automatically tall into essentially the same plane at right angles to the walls, forming the outer bottom closure md the collapsed sections of the end wall ilaps automatically fall int-o the same prime, .forming an inner closure in flat relation to said outer closure, completing the erection.

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An object of the invention is to pnovide a one piece open top rectangular carrying container with substantially a double bottom reinforced closure which may be readily collapsed to a flat form for storage and easily erected for re-use.

Another obiect of the invention is to` provide a die-cut collapsible container from a rectangular blank, which is completely utilized in forming the container, with no waste or scrap remaining after the blank has been cut and scored.

A further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible bottom closure which will maintain a containerrs walls in a rigid rectangular position when the container is set up.

Other objects and advantages of this invent-ion will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full and complete understanding of the construction and operation of this container. The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention and form a part ot the spec-ication. Like numerals `and symbls therein appearing refer to like parts wherever they occur.

It is understood that while no top closure means are illustrated or described, such top closure means, which are Well known iin fthe ant, could be utilized, it desired, with` this invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 'il is a plan view ori a preferred form of the blank for forming the container'.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the blank in FlG. 1 with the bottom closure sections folded in `face .to face relatie-11 with the wall sections and the mino-r trapezoidal portion folded in face to face relation with its adjoining major trapezoidal section.

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of the blank of FIG. 1 in process of assembly.

`HG. 4 is a plan view sho-wing the completely assembled blank, collapsed to ilat form.

FlG. 5 lis a perspective view of the blank with manuiaoturers joints completed, in the princess of erection from the collapsed fform of FllG. 3.

FlG. 6 is a perspective View of the container fully erected, showing one-half of the bottom closure.

In a preferred form of the blank illustrated in FIG. l, horizontal score lil :and vertical scores ll, i3 and lo define side walls 12 and i7 and end wal-ls i4 and ld arranged in extended side by side alternating relation.` The end walls lal- -and 18 are bisected by ven-tical scores l5 Aand l@ respectively, about which scores the half sections ott each wall 14a, l'flb and lStz, lb respectively, are outwardly collapsed to substantially parallel relation. A glue iap 3/ is foldably attach-ed to the free vertical edge ot side wall l2.

Vertical double scores 2li, 25 and 21S, being continuations of scores ll, i3 and ilo, respectively, dene side bottom closure sections 2l and 29 yand end bottom closure sections 2o and 34. Converging double scores A-A extending from the upper side corners of closure sections 2l and 2x9 to horizontal sco-re B in section 2l and to points B', B in section 29, dene counterpart major trapezoidal shaped portions. ln section 2d, dive'r'ging slits C extend from the juncture `of scores A-A with score B to the free end edge of the section, defining minor triapezoidal shaped portion 23 oldable about score B. The remaining counterpart end portions Z4 of the section 2li are defined by the scores A and slits C and the side edges and free marginal edge of the flap. The iap 29 is slit from the juncture of scores A-A and points B', E', vertically at D to the free end edge of the ilap, defining rectangular portion 32. The remaining portions 31 of the closure section are trapezoidal in shape.

The end wall bottom closure sections 26 and 34, are bisectod by double scores 2'7 and 35, continuations of scores and 1:9 respectively, deiining rectangular portions 26a and Zeb and 3ds and 3d!) respectively, to allow these closure sections to he outwardly collapsible to sub stantially flat relation when :the container is in a collapsed state. A glue ilap 36 is foldably attached to the ree vertical edge 33 of the closure section The blank may he conveniently `assembled by folding,r the bottom closure sections 21, 2o, 2.9 and 3d about the horizontal score il@ into flat relation over the walls 2, 14, 17 and 18 shown `in FlG. 2. Glue is applied to naps 3d and 37. Minor itrapezoidal portion .2.3 is folded downwardly about scorre B llatwise over the maior trapezoidal portion 22 as in FIG. 2 and glue is `applied to its exposed face. The wall 12 and wall section Mb with closure sec-'tion 211 and portion 261') are next folded inwardly about vertical score 15 and its continuation 27, atwise over wall `17, and wat section 1de and closure section 29 and section respectively, as shown in FliG. 3. Wall section 13a and closure portion 3v-ttt are likewise folded inwardly about vertical score and its continuation 35, ilatwise over wall section ib and closure portion 3io!) respectively, as in FiG. 3. lue ap 37 will now extend over the free side of wall section 118s and is secured thereto as in FlG. 4. Glue flap 36 will underlie the lfree side margin ot flap 21 and is secured thereto. Minor ftrapezoidal portion 2-3 of closure section 21 will underlie the louter race of major trapezoidal portion 3d of closure section 29 and is secured thereto completing the menufacturers assembly of the container in collapsed forni for storage and transportation to the point of use, as in FG. 4.

The container may be readily and quickly erected from the collapsed state, as shown in FlG. 4 by separating the side walls 11E-17', maintaining their parallel relation and concurrently pressing the counterpart portions lfi'ailldb and ld-mb of the bisected end walls, P14-1% at their fold lines 15-19 respectively, inwardly as in FIG. 5, until they `are in a common plane in right vangular relation to the side walls 12v- 17, as shown in FIG. 6i. Concurrently with this operation, the counterpart portions 26a-25E) and 34a-134]) of the bisected end wall closure sections 26--34 approach a co-mrnon plane at right angles to the end walls 114-18, as in FlG. 6. The connected together trapezoidal portions of closure sections Ztl- 29, as a result of their connection to the portions of the bisected closure sections 2te-34 through the portions 24-31, will also move downwardly toward a common plane perpendicular to the side walls l2-17, as in FlG. 5. As the operation proceeds, the connected together major trapezoidal portions 22B- 33| will reach a common horizontal plane iformintg the outer bottom closure of the container and the portions 26a-Zeb and 34a-34E: of the end wall closure Sections will move inwardly and downwardly flatwise over the outer bottom closure, forining the inner bottom, as shown in FIG. 6.

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It is to be understood "that the embodiment herein deoribed is illustrative and not restrictive and it is also to be understood that e invention may be susceptible of embodiment in other modified iforins, and that all such modifi-cations which are similar or equivalent hereto corne Aequally within the scope of the claims next appearing.

ln the claims:

1. A collapsed elongated rectangular container with an integral bottom closure, the container having side und -end Walls hingedly connected together at their side edges by corner scores, the bottom closure comprising hingediy connected lto the bottoni edges of the said side and end walls, lthe closure llaps including side and end naps with side ledges deiined by lines of Ifold in substantially continuous relation lto the corner scores, the con- -tainer end walls bottom closure end flaps scored at their mid-width deterniining half sections of the end walls, the half sections extended outwardly with the respective bottom end flaps `between and in substantially parallel relation to the end wel half sections, the side flaps each including a pair of converging scores extending from the respective side `edges of said flaps at the hinge connections to the side walls and terminating `at spaced rapart points in each said nap, said spaced apart points being spaced from the respective hinge connection to a side wail a distance substantially equal to the width `of an end wall half section, at least one side lap being of a length greater than one half the width of the conttainer `and including a pair of slits each ci which extends from yone of said points to the free end edge of the liao and defining therebetween a ilap portion, the llap portion secured Eto fthe other side flap and scored to provide a hinge connection at the container mid-width between said side flaps, the eide intolded in substantially parallel relation tot the container side Walls.

2. A collapsed container as in claim 1 wherein the other side flap includes a pair of slits each of which cxtends `from one of said points to the `free end edge of the ilap and dening therebetween a tlap portion, the flap portion being in the plane of said other side lla'p and disposed interiorly of the one side ilap and its flap portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A COLLAPSED ELONGATED RECTANGULAR CONTAINER WITH AN INTEGRAL BOTTOM CLOSURE, THE CONTAINER HAVING SIDE AND END WALLS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TOGETHER AT THEIR SIDE EDGES BY CORNER SCORES, THE BOTTOM CLOSURE COMPRISING FLAPS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE BOTTOM EDGES OF THE SAID SIDE AND END WALLS, THE CLOSURE FLAPS INCLUDING SIDE AND END FLAPS WITH SIDE EDGES DEFINED BY LINES OF FOLD IN SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS RELATION TO THE CORNER SCORES, THE CONTAINER END WALLS AND BOTTOM CLOSURE END FLAPS SCORED AT THEIR MID-WIDTH DETERMINING HALF SECTIONS OF THE END WALLS, THE HALF SECTIONS EXTENDED OUTWARDLY WITH THE RESPECTIVE BOTTOM END FLAPS BETWEEN AND IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATION TO THE END WALL HALF SECTIONS, THE SIDE FLAPS EACH INCLUDING A PAIR OF CONVERGING SCORES EXTENDING FROM THE RESPECTIVE SIDE EDGES OF SAID FLAPS AT THE HINGE CONNECTIONS TO THE SIDE WALLS AND TERMINATING AT SPACED APART POINTS IN EACH SAID SIDE FLAP, SAID SPACED APART POINTS BEING SPACED FROM THE RESPECTIVE HINGE CONNECTION TO A SIDE WALL A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF AN END WALL HALF SECTION, AT LEAST ONE SIDE FLAP BEING OF A LENGTH GREATER THAN ONE HALF THE WIDTH OF THE CONTAINER AND INCLUDING A PAIR OF SLITS EACH OF WHICH EXTENDS FROM ONE OF SAID POINTS TO THE FREE END EDGE OF THE FLAP AND DEFINING THEREBETWEEN A FLAP PORTION, THE FLAP PORTION SECURED TO THE OTHER SIDE FLAP AND SCORED TO PROVIDE A HINGE CONNECTION AT THE CONTAINER MID-WIDTH BETWEEN SAID SIDE FLAPS, THE SIDE FLAPS INFOLDED IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL RELATION TO THE CONTAINER SIDE WALLS. 